Monthly Archives: February 2014

Everyone loves to eat, but no one has time to cook in this fast paced age. You are either doing this or that but who is complaining if you are able to put a delicious meal on the table at meal time. Here are a few recipes to help you churn that magic of whipping up a healthy and scrumptious meal that takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare and serve.

Zesty Tuna with Pasta Salad

With fishes like tuna, you can be sure you are giving your family something worth eating. So on your way back from work, why not buy a box of linguine pasta, a couple of cans of tuna that are soaked in chilli oil, a can of artichoke hearts, some baby rocket (or baby spinach), an avocado and you must be having lemon juice in home.

Now all you need to do is put the water to boil in a large saucepan and add some salt. While the water comes to desired temperature, you can work on the other ingredients. Open the can of tuna and lift it out of the oil. Remove and discard the chilli from it, but you have to keep the oil. Flake the tuna with your hands into large chunks. Take a large bowl and drop the tuna into it. Add the oil, avocado, artichokes and the rocket to it. Don’t forget to add the noodles into the water when it is boiling; stir it once.

Once the pasta is done, rinse it under cold water so that it doesn’t stick. Add it to the tuna in the bowl. Drizzle some lemon juice over it and season the dish with salt and pepper. Toss everything together and serve.

Super and Simple Salmon

Here’s another quick and easy recipe of cooking fish and that too another healthy option – the salmon. If you have 4 pcs of salmon, which are 6oz. each, then you require a tablespoon of garlic, half a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of dried basil as the seasoning. Mix the seasonings with a fork into a bowl; when thoroughly combined, rub equal amounts on each fillet of fish and keep. This is going to take you only 5 minutes approximately.

Ten minutes before you are ready to serve, heat a skillet and add some butter to heat through. Place the fillets on the skillet on medium heat allowing it to cook for 5 minutes before you turn it over. Cook for another 5 minutes on the other side. Take the pieces out on individual plates and serve with a fresh lemon wedge.

Steak with Green Beans and Baby Potatoes

For something fancier on the plate, try this delicious and easy recipe. Take a few baby potatoes and pierce them a few times before keeping in the microwave on high heat for around 6 minutes. For this recipe a bag of steam-in-the-bag green beans that can also be prepared in the microwave according to its instructions is also required.

You need a pound of steak that has been halved cross wise. Season it with salt and black pepper and then keep on the grill pan to cook on medium high heat for around 3-4 minutes on each side. When cooked on both side, transfer them to a cutting board for resting. In the mean while combine 1 tablespoon of miso with a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, a teaspoon of crushed fresh ginger, a teaspoon of sugar, a bit of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and some sesame seeds in a bowl.

Cut the steak into fashionable strips and place them on a plate with a few green beans and halved potatoes. Drizzle dressing over it and serve.

Saint Valentine’s Day, better known as Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine is celebrated on 14th February every year with much passion and love. It is the day of love as many people put it; however it is not a holiday. Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a day for love and admiration where people shower their loved ones with gifts of love and passion.

Over the years Valentine’s Day has become a very popular celebration in many countries all over the world. On this day everyone is allowed to buy gifts and flowers to shower upon their valentine.

Here are a few ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved one:

– Romantic dinners have always been a favourite among young and old couples who wants to celebrate this special day of love with their significant other. Many hotels and restaurants have a special menu for the day with an appropriate ambience. Often there is live music bands playing your favourite tunes which makes you fall in love with your special one all over again.

– Surprise your loved one with an awesome gift as per his/her preference which will surely sweep him/her off their feet. It will also show that you pay attention to the needs of your loved one and not just always get the generalised gifts.

– You can always surprise your loved one by planning a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway to a beautiful country side B&B where you can spend some quality time together without any outside disturbances.

– If both of you are working on Valentine’s Day, make sure to arrange for a gift to reach your loved one’s workplace before he/she reaches. It will brighten up his/her day just by receiving the gift and the rewards can be reaped later at home after work.

– Although Valentine’s Day gifts have become a clique, it always is a beautiful thought to receive a gift that says “Love”. Roses, chocolates, teddy bears, etc have been some of the common V-Day gifts since ages. Now a day’s people go to extreme like gifting cars and diamonds for V-Day gifts.

– Last but not the least shower your loved one with some special gifts such as couples spa vouchers, couples massages, etc where both of you can enjoy while relaxing and rejuvenating yourselves. Once done you both can head over for a romantic day that can entail a beautiful scenic ride followed by wonderful food and music. It is a great way to set the mood and get the passion flowing in both of you.

There are many ways to celebrate this day of love with your loved one but the most important thing is to tell your other half why they are special to you and that you love him/her. Honestly saying that you love your better half is probably the best gift. St. Valentine’s would be very proud of himself that it is in his name the day of love is celebrated.